Allyship, Belonging and Inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has always been a big part of what we do and what we believe in at Ambition.

Our business is all about people and it only feels right that we should be championing people in every way possible and how we refer to DEI is part of that.

For that reason, we’re moving away from the term DEI and embracing ABI - Allyship, Belonging and Inclusion.

We want to embed inclusion and belonging in what we do and how we do it. In the workplace we look to those in senior positions to see what’s acceptable and how to behave - from how to conduct ourselves in meetings to whether it’s ok to take time off to go to a school play.

Senior leaders need to understand the role that they play in creating a culture that supports allyship, belonging and inclusion

The next step for DEI

Today’s world can feel like a scary place. With so much uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to create a workplace where people feel welcome, included and empowered.

At the heart of it, that’s what allyship, belonging and inclusion is about. Creating a space where people feel they can be their true selves and their whole selves.

We spend, on average, a third of our lives at work, so shouldn’t that place be somewhere you want to be and somewhere you feel safe?

For many, including us at Ambition, the term DEI hasn’t felt right for a while now. It doesn’t feel like it truly reflects what we’re trying to achieve and the environment we want to live in.

There’s a perception that the term DEI is quite narrow, and often people think it only relates to gender. The reality is that there are so many areas that should be included in DEI, and in the current climate with broader changes happening in the world, it’s time to review how we articulate what we stand for.

Allyship, belonging and inclusion is the next step in Ambition’s DEI journey. It’s more inclusive, more accessible and more aligned to create a culture where everyone feels seen, heard and empowered to be their true, authentic selves.

It starts at the top

When it comes to allyship, belonging and inclusion, it has to start at the top. Senior leaders need to embody what it means to be an ally and model how to create an inclusive workplace. Only then will those behaviours trickle down throughout the firm to create a wholly inclusive environment.

That’s easier said than done sometimes. Traditional leadership styles rely on a strict hierarchy and a split mentality between work and personal. Allyship builds on an authentic leadership style that encourages openness, honesty and a personal relationship with your wider team.

From creating policies and guidelines to receiving feedback, giving credit where it's due to addressing microaggressions and upholding standards in disputes, it’s leaders who set the tone.

When leadership fails to act, recognise or protect their employees it undermines any work that’s done to create a psychologically safe space.

The business case for inclusion

There are two sides to the argument for becoming an ally and creating an inclusive workplace. Firstly, the moral stance. We’re all humans, we all deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and welcomed wherever we are. Society is full of reasons why we’re different and why that “should” matter, but when it comes down to it - we’re all people.

As leaders we need to use our position of authority and privilege to help everyone around us, because morally, it’s the right thing to do.

There’s also the business advantages inclusivity and diversity bring.

Profitability

Mckinsey have found that firms with a more ethnically diverse workforce are 36% more likely to have higher profits than their competitors. Time after time research has found that diverse firms, whether that’s ethnicity, age, gender, religion or any other factor, improve a firm’s bottom line.

Innovation

It’s not just profitability that’s impacted, but also innovation. It makes sense that a firm with a wide cross-section of employees is more likely to find new, creative solutions. Diversity means that you have a range of backgrounds, ages, viewpoints and ways of thinking which can come together to create something truly special.

Attraction and retention

People want to enjoy the place where they work. It might sound simple but when you create a psychologically safe environment where people are encouraged to and comfortable with bringing their whole selves to work, that impacts retention.

Employees don’t want to move on, they stay for longer and it’s easier to attract the sort of people you want to work there.

At the end of the day, when people feel they belong, they do their best work and who doesn’t want that?

Steps towards allyship, belonging and inclusion

Building a culture takes time, perseverance and commitment. As a senior leader you also need to be aware that you don’t have all the answers. You can take the first step, you can do your best but embedding allyship, belonging and inclusion in your culture will take input from others.

At Ambition we’ve made our mission clear, and we’re doing our best but we’re always open to other steps we could be taking.

In part, that’s why we’ve moved away from DEI and now talk about Allyship, Belonging and Inclusion. People can relate to it far more easily than the more corporate sounding diversity, equity and inclusion.

We know we’ve got a long way to go, but we’re doing what we can.

These are some of the steps we’ve taken that have helped us so far.

Creating conversations

Building an inclusive environment relies on everyone, regardless of seniority coming together. Creating opportunities for open, honest conversations has helped to do that.

Through our series of fireside chats, we’ve covered a range of topics that we might not have spoken about so honestly before. We can then take the learnings and feedback from those conversations and put them into practice, ensuring that our culture and policies are shaped by the people who they impact.

Prioritising inclusion

When you prioritise inclusion you need to do it loudly and proudly. By stating your intentions out loud it reinforces your commitment. It’s easy to say you’re committed to allyship and inclusion but it’s far harder to demonstrate it. Making a public commitment, whether that’s through your website, your marketing materials, or public speeches and statements, introduces a level of accountability.

For Ambition, allyship, belonging and inclusion is the next step in our mission to create a culture where everybody feels seen, heard and empowered to be their true authentic selves.

By saying it out loud and making a firm commitment we’re showing not only our employees but also our clients and those we work with that we mean it.

For us, championing those around us is a core part of what we do. We want everyone to feel safe, comfortable and empowered to do their best and to be their best self. It’s a decision that starts with our leadership team, but it’s a decision that will hopefully transform everyone’s experience of working with Ambition.​